Loudoun man sentenced to life

Updated, 2:05 p.m.: David E. Cavalieri, 41, has been sentenced to life in prison in the killing of his girlfriend, Stacy Harper, 37, last year.

Original post: A Loudoun County jury has convicted David E. Cavalieri of first-degree murder for killing his girlfriend in their Ashburn apartment last year, and the jury is considering a sentence of 20 years to life in prison.

Cavalieri, 41, was arrested in April after calling 911 and reporting that he'd been stabbed. But when police investigated, they found the body of Stacy Harper, 37, wrapped in plastic and stashed under a bed. Investigators think she'd been there for more than two weeks.

Jurors watched a videotape of Cavalieri discussing the slaying, in which he said he choked Harper on March 29, Loudoun Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney James P. Fisher said. Her body was not discovered until April 15.

The jury heard closing arguments in the trial Feb. 4, and then the snows came. The jury did not return to deliberate until Wednesday, when they found Cavalieri guilty of first-degree murder. Cavalieri's lawyers had asked for a lesser verdict, saying the killing was not premeditated.